This was another busy release week, with so many great new books (as well as a couple of misses). I read a few 5-star reads from trusted favorites, tried out a few new-to-me authors, and filled up my TBR with lots of exciting upcoming releases.

If you read my Teaser Tuesday post (found here), you know that there is an interesting mix of books coming next week, and I’m reading my way through plenty of ARCs that are releasing soon. I’ll have new reviews throughout the week!

If you missed any of this week’s reviews, I’ve got the blurb and rating for each below. There’s also a link to my calendar of June releases, my list of 15 Steamy Romances with Seriously Solid Storylines, and my Deals and Steals list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AbsolutelyLOVED this

She can’t let him score…

Call it superstition, but when a guy bats as hot as Brooks Elliott, you don’t mess with what’s working. And what’s working is him keeping his pants zipped and doing all of his scoring on the field.

So when I hear he’s planning to ditch his V-card now that he’s been traded to baseball’s lovable losers—aka my home team and my reason for living every March through October—I do what any rational, dedicated, obsessed fan would do.

I make a plan to stop him.

But the thing about stopping him is that it requires spending time with him.

Lots. And lots. And lots of time.

And the more time I spend with him, the more I like him. Not as the guy who’s going to help save my favorite team and finally bring home a championship ring, but as the guy who’s helping me in my quest to bring back the team’s old mascot. Who also loves making pancake and bacon sandwiches. And who would do almost anything for his love of the game.

But after all this time of jock-blocking him…do I even have a chance?

And if I do, are we both destined to a life of celibacy in the name of winning?

Jock Blocked is a home run of a feel-good romantic comedy featuring the world’s most superstitious sports fan, baseball’s oldest virgin hero, a rogue meatball, an adorable puppy with a cussing problem, and the best lovable losers. It stands alone and comes with a happily ever after more satisfying than a game-winning grand slam.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Subtle yet sexy

Surly, rude, selfish, and inconveniently attractive. Meet Milo Papatonis, the king of all jerks.

I’m not normally one to judge, but I’ve been down this particular road before and I can unequivocally say he’s earned his title. It’s not enough that Milo crushed my dreams when we were kids, but now I’m somehow being forced to dwell under the same roof with his ill-mannered ass. If he thinks his sexy shower noises and ovary-imploding smile can tempt me into forgetting, he’s nuts.

This situation is strictly business and blessedly temporary. Because my dreams are still out there waiting for me, and they won’t be found anywhere near this town—or this guy.

Jerks do nothing but break hearts, of that I’m certain. But I’ve been known to be wrong a time or two…

If you’ve read Then Again by Sylvie Stewart, you’ve met Jill, the hopeless flirt and younger sister to Jenna. Catch up with Jill as well as your friends from The Nerd Next Door in this fun, sexy, irresistible new addition to the Carolina Kisses series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Steamy and light

Abigail Haddock is stunning, sensible, and some would say . . . stuffy. But it’s not really her fault. She was raised in one of Wessco’s oldest, most affluent, aristocratic families—“stuffy” is their middle name. So is successful. Abby’s working overtime to distinguish herself as a top-notch physician, just as her family legacy demands.

She doesn’t have time for nonsense.

Tommy Sullivan’s all about nonsense.

Sure, he’s an elite bodyguard with lethal skills and co-owner of the renowned, S&S Securities Firm—protector of the wealthy and titled. But he’s also rowdy, fun and thoroughly irresistible.

Tommy knows how to have a good time, and he’s never seen someone more in need of a good time than Abby. The lass needs long, wet, filthy kisses—STAT—and he’s just the man for the job.

It doesn’t take long for a wildly sexy, sinfully satisfying, no-strings attached arrangement to turn into something more. Something sweet and addictive and real. But Tommy and Abby are too royally stubborn to admit it.

Opposites attract, everyone knows that. But can they last—can they love…for forever?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Light and fun

What do you do when the whole world has seen you getting down and dirty in a broom closet?

I, Elle Evans, am on the run.

Not from the fuzz—although that would be more exciting.

No, I’m on the run from the four-year-old private tape that, thanks to my vengeful ex, has probably already ruined my vlogging career.

There’s nothing like the entire world knowing what you look like mid-O.Creek Keys, Florida, is a million miles away from NYC and the perfect place for me to hide for the rest of summer until I can figure out what I’m going to do.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Funny not swoony

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes an Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Comedy.

CAUTION: CONTAINS HOT COWBOY. Do not mix with wine. Avoid watching him do shirtless labor on hot days.

SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE: Feeling of extreme temptation, excessive drooling over his abs, elevated heart rate, and loss of coherent thoughts when in his presence.

My name is Camila Clark. And that sexy cowboy right there? The one with the devilish smile, twinkling brown eyes, and tattoos on his muscular arms? He’s Jed, the guy I turned down flat back in Texas. He just showed up here in Oregon at the winery where I work.

The question is why?

Not that it really matters. I have my reasons for staying away from all that manly temptation. Reasons he can’t possibly understand but seems determined to punish me for.

But the more I fight him, the more I learn about this mysterious, hot-as-hell cowboy. I just don’t know how much longer I can keep pretending to hate him.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely LOVED this

Alpha (noun):

1) Having the highest rank in a dominance hierarchy

2) The most powerful man in a group

3) Liam Black

He was a stranger to me, a dark and dangerous presence who materialized from the shadows one rainy night to save me from a vicious attack. I didn’t know his name or where he was from. All I knew was that the only place I’d ever felt safe was in his arms.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Problematic past

Until today, I never had to fake anything with Wyatt Westland—owner of a demon cat and my high school sweetheart-turned-nemesis-turned-billionaire tech genius. But I wouldn’t be here by his side right now if I could’ve found him a date.

I swore I’d never let myself get involved with Wyatt again after he broke my heart all those years ago, but he moved in next door with his adorable daughter. And the sexy single dad vibe he has going on began to thaw my inner ice queen—the one I perfected just for him.Then my eccentric boss asked me to find Wyatt a date to his ex-wife’s wedding. My boss even put a cherry on top of a huge bonus, and I couldn’t resist. Of course, not a single one of the heiresses I set Wyatt up with worked. I’m convinced he ruined each date on purpose, leaving me with no choice but to step up and stand in as his date myself.

How hard can it be to fake it for just one day, even if every moment reminds me of all the ways I fell for him the first time?

Faking It with the Frenemy is a second chance, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers reunion romance with a matchmaking mom determined to make the heroine marry for money (love is optional), a billionaire single-dad hero who was the heroine’s first love, a cat that wants to be a queen, a dog that loves what the cat brings every morning, and a wild party with certain very inappropriately named treats from Japan. Love a book with lots of laughter and heart? Then grab Faking It with the Frenemy today!

⭐️⭐️ Kinda confusing

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melody Anne continues her sizzling and heartfelt series about billionaire Joseph Anderson’s long-lost nephews.

Salt-of-the-earth navy veteran Noah Anderson is just starting to understand what it means to be exceedingly wealthy. Since he and his four brothers received a huge payout from their long-lost billionaire uncle, they’ve been hard at work building a new veterans center—and hard at play with the lovely ladies in their lives.

Noah, in charge of designing the center, has been mostly focused on work. However, coarchitect Sarah Jennings commands more of his attention all the time. Sparks fly whenever they’re together, but she’s wary—even afraid—of love, and Noah isn’t the biggest fan of commitment.

When they reach a creative roadblock, Noah and Sarah decide to jet across the United States and study the buildings that most influence them. The trip quickly inspires more than just a love of architecture, and with a little help from Uncle Joseph, the reluctant couple gets ever closer to discovering what they’re really looking for.

⭐️⭐️ Falls flat

From talented new writer, Yaffa S. Santos, comes this unforgettable, heartwarming, and hilarious rom-com about chefs, cooking, love, and self-discovery that is a cross between The Hating Game and Sweetbitter.

Lumi Santana is a chef with the gift of synesthesia—she can perceive a person’s emotions just by tasting their cooking. Despite being raised by a single mother who taught her that dreams and true love were silly fairy tales, she decides to take a chance and puts her heart and savings into opening a fusion restaurant in Inwood, Manhattan. The restaurant offers a mix of the Dominican cuisine she grew up with and other world cuisines that have been a source of culinary inspiration to her.

When Lumi’s eclectic venture fails, she is forced to take a position as a sous chef at a staid, traditional French restaurant in midtown owned by Julien Dax, a celebrated chef known for his acid tongue as well as his brilliant smile. Lumi and Julien don’t get along in the kitchen–to say Lumi is irritated by Julien’s smug attitude is an understatement, and she secretly vows never to taste his cooking. Little does she know that her resolve doesn’t stand a chance against Julien’s culinary prowess.

As Julien produces one delectable dish after another, each one tempting Lumi with its overwhelming aromas and gorgeous presentations, she can no longer resist and samples one of his creations. She isn’t prepared for the feelings that follow as she’s overcome with intense emotions. She begins to crave his cooking throughout the day, which throws a curveball in her plan to save up enough money and move on as soon as possible. Plus, there’s also the matter of Esme, Julien’s receptionist who seems to always be near and watching. As the attraction between Lumi and Julien simmers, Lumi experiences a tragedy that not only complicates her professional plans, but her love life as well…

Clever, witty, and romantic, A Taste of Sage is sure to delight and entertain readers until the very last page.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: June Releases

There are SO MANY new romance novels coming your way in the month of June!!! It can be incredibly difficult to keep track of all of the new releases each month, so I’ve put together a calendar to help you manage your TBR. The following books are the ones that are on my radar – I’ll be reviewing MANY of these throughout the month, so keep an eye out for new reviews! If I know for sure that I’ll be reviewing a book, then I’ve indicated that as well.

I’ve got the anticipated release date, blurb, and preorder links when available for each of the new romances that have caught my eye so far. Check out the complete calendar here.

15 Steamy Romances with Seriously Solid Storylines

I like light and sweet romances as much as the next girl, but sometimes I’m just in the mood for something a little sexier. I still want there to be all of the character development and swoony feels I would get in a sweeter romance, just with an extra level of heat. The following 15 romances are all STEAMY in their own way – whether they’re sexy from the start, a slow burn to sizzle, or somewhere in between, they’re all quality romances that take the sex appeal up a notch. Check out the complete list here.

This Week’s Deals and Steals

New week, new deals!!! There continue to be a ton of great freebies and deals out there on Kindle books, so get clicking and load up your eReader! These low/no price books are the perfect way to try out new-to-you authors without breaking the bank.

They’re sorted into three lists – freebies, 99 cents to $1.99 and $2+. These deals change daily so grab them while you can! Fair warning: I add new deals as I see them, but only remove expired deals once a week and they sometimes go fast. View all the deals here.